The depth and peculiar nature of America's radical tradition in literature stand as achievements deserving special attention and renewed emphasis as the bicentennial celebration of the American Revolution approaches. This extensive and varied tradition--including poems, stories, novels, essays, sermons, journals, and letters--extends from the colonial days to the present, with some of the greatest literary radicals belonging to the immediate past--the First World War, the Depression, and the period since 1955. The possibilities of exploring the growth and continuing strength of the radical tradition are numerous, either by tracing the tradition historically or by concentrating on a specific period, on particular issues, or on groups of people. (JM)